salamander
Posted by Trent Boles on May 28, 2006
Q: our sons found a red spotted salamander on our driveway, quite some distance from any real habitat.What are the ideal conditions for a 10 gallon observation tank ? We are no where near any bodies of water.
Habitat: suburban/yard
State: West Virginia
Habitat: suburban/yard
A: Without a photo or really detailed description I can't be sure which species you might have. Could be a Northern Red Salamander or Midland Mud Salamander or a Red Eft (Red Spotted Newt). If an eft, it should have a central spot of orange within the black dots. Since the newt is much more terrestrial than the others this is the logical one I'd expect to find where you found it. Red Efts are immatures of the Red Spotted Newt and spend their immature time on land but return to water as adults. Try looking on line to see if this is what you have.
If you can find out what species you have you'll be able to determine the best aquarium habitat. These animals are all carnivores so they're not too easy to feed - they need rather small animals. Salamanders don't make the best pets so I'd suggest you enjoy for a short period and then release your animal in a wooded area nearby. Hope this helps a bit, thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( May 29, 2006)